Abstract: A communications device includes a housing, an antenna carried by the housing, an oscillator carried by the housing to generate a reference signal, and an RF receiver carried by the housing, and coupled to the antenna and the oscillator, the RF receiver demodulating a received signal from the antenna based upon the reference signal. The communications device also includes a GPS receiver carried by the housing to generate a calibration signal, a temperature sensor carried by the housing to generate a sensed temperature value, and a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the oscillator, the RF receiver, the GPS receiver, and the temperature sensor. The processor may enter an oscillator calibration mode based upon the sensed temperature value for selectively calibrating the oscillator based upon the calibration signal.

Abstract: A device is provided for use with a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that receives and modulates a radio frequency (RF) signal. A substrate of the device includes a first short dipole antenna structure that backscatters a received RF signal to produce a first radiation pattern having nulls. A set of connection pads couple the RF signal from the antenna to a frontend transmitter circuit of the RFID chip. A second antenna structure backscatters the received RF signal by electromagnetic coupling to the first antenna structure and produces a second radiation pattern that complements the nulls in the first radiation pattern.

Abstract: A method of tracking a second electronic device with respect to a first electronic device is disclosed. The method includes transmitting a first waveform of a first frequency along a first fixed path associated with the first device. A second waveform having a frequency based on the first frequency is wirelessly transmitted from the first device to the second device along a first wireless path. The second waveform is wirelessly transmitted from the second device to the first device along a second wireless path. The first and second waveforms are received at the phase comparator circuit. A first phase relationship of the received first waveform is then compared to a second phase relationship of the received re-transmitted waveform. A coordinate of the second device is determined with respect to a reference coordinate based on the comparing.

Abstract: Position determination method for a target point, using a geodetic measuring device, such as a total station or a theodolite, having a distance and angle measurement functionality, a sighting device, and a first radio module, and using a hand-held data processing device, such as a data logger for the measuring device, having a second radio module. The data processing device is positioned within a specified radius of the target point. As part of the method, a radio connection is established between the first and the second radio modules, and the position of the target point is determined. A rough distance between the first and the second radio modules is determined based on a propagation time of interrogation and/or response signals of the radio connection and is used to locate the target—as displaying, detecting, identifying, and/or sighting the target point—or to exclude further possible target point candidates.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for controlling antenna down tilt in a mixed coordinated/non-coordinated network include receiving one or more input signals defining a waveform to be transmitted, for determining a tilt angle state to be applied to the antenna based on the one or more input signals, and for transmitting a tilt control signal if the determined tilt angle state differs from a current tilt angle state associated with the antenna.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the integrity of position information outputted by a hybridization device that includes a bank (3) of Kalman filters, each filter developing a hybrid navigation solution from inertial measurements calculated by a virtual platform (2) and from raw measurements of signals transmitted by a satellite constellation which are outputted by a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The method includes, for each satellite of the constellation of calculating a cross-innovation of the satellite that reflects the deviation between an observation, corresponding to a raw measurement from the satellite, and an a posteriori estimation of said observation that is developed through a Kalman filter and does not use the raw measurement from the satellite; carrying out a statistical test of the cross-innovation to ascertain whether or not the satellite is malfunctioning.

Abstract: An optimum measurement subset with a specified number of elements is generated from a set of input global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. A design matrix and a weight matrix are generated. Values of a set of coefficients corresponding to the set of input GNSS measurements are calculated. The value of a specific coefficient is calculated as the ratio of the change in value of the at least one target parameter resulting from the change in value of the specific input GNSS measurement to the change in value of the sum of squared residuals resulting from the change in value of the specific input GNSS measurement. The optimum measurement subset is selected based at least in part on the values of the set of coefficients.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for tracking the carrier phase of a signal received from a satellite by a carrier using a carrier loop of the carrier phase, said signal being acquired by a navigation system of the carrier, said navigation system including a receiver for location by radio navigation, and a self-contained unit, wherein the receiver is suitable for acquiring and tracking the phase of the carrier of the signal from the satellite.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipsets or architecture. Based upon a requested accuracy and/or update of a host application, embodiments of the disclosure can calculate position data points on-board the GNSS chipset or allow a host processor to calculate position data points, which can allow the host processor to enter a low power mode if the requested update rate and/or accuracy allow.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented for determining position a GNSS rover antenna from single-frequency observations of GNSS signals collected at the antenna over multiple epochs and from correction data for at least one of the epochs. Coded raw data prepared from the single-frequency observations in a binary format are obtained and decoded to obtain decoded raw data. The decoded raw data are used to construct multiple epochs of measurement data of time, range and phase. Correction data are obtained for at least one of the epochs. The measurement data are processed with the correction data in a realtime kinematic positioning engine to obtain a position estimate for each of a plurality of epochs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating and distributing satellite tracking data to a remote receiver is disclosed. The method for includes extracting from satellite-tracking data initial model parameters representing a current orbit of at least one satellite-positioning-system satellite, computing an orbit model using the initial model parameters, wherein a duration of the orbit model is longer than a duration of the satellite-tracking data, comparing, for an overlapping period of time, the orbit model to the satellite-tracking data; and adjusting the orbit model to match the satellite tracking data for the overlapping period of time so as to form an adjusted orbit model. The adjusted orbit model comprises the long-term-satellite-tracking data.

Abstract: An offset estimator (e.g., a time delay, a spatial image offset, etc.) makes use of a transform approach (e.g., using Fast Fourier Transforms). The sparse nature of a cross-correlation is exploited by limiting the computation required in either or both of the forward and inverse transforms. For example, only a subset of the transform values (e.g., a regular subsampling of the values) is used. In some examples, an inverse transform yields a time aliased version of the cross-correlation. Further processing then identifies the most likely offset of the original signals by considering offsets that are consistent with the aliased output.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for extrapolating antenna radiation patterns from a small number of measurements. The present invention is configured to derive an initial estimate based on design information and compare the initial estimate to far-field measurements. The controller is configured to recursively obtain a final estimate wherein a difference between the far-field measurements and the final estimate is less than a predetermined amount. The final estimate represents an extrapolated mapping of the antenna pattern.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system with electrical tilt control incorporates a tilt controller (62) for splitting an input signal into three intermediate signals, two of which are delayed by variable delays T1 and T2 relative to the third. A corporate feed (64) contains splitters S3 to S10 and hybrids H1 to H6 for processing the intermediate signals to produce drive signals for elements of an antenna array (66); the drive signals are fractions and vector combinations of the intermediate signals. The tilt controller (62) and the corporate feed (64) in combination impose relative phasing on the drive signals as appropriate for phased array beam steering in response to variable delay of two intermediate signals relative to the third intermediate signal.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a set of satellites for which assistance data may be provided to a wireless device. A boundary for an approximate area in which the wireless device is located may be determined and one or more sets of satellites may be determined as a function of the boundary. An optimum set of satellites from the one or more sets of satellites may then be determined using a satellite selection function on the one or more sets of satellites at predetermined points substantially on the boundary.

Abstract: A method and system for determining the geolocation of a vehicle in the absence of a GPS signal includes determining the geodetic position of each of a plurality of airborne objects based on the relative position of at least one star and at least one satellite. The determined geodetic positions of each of the airborne objects is transmitted to the vehicle. A distance from the vehicle to each airborne vehicle is calculated. Based on the geodetic position determined for each airborne object and the distance from the vehicle to each of the airborne objects, the geodetic position of the vehicle is determined. A receiver receives the geodetic position of each airborne object, calculates a distance to each airborne object, and determines a current geodetic position based on the received geodetic positions of the airborne objects and the distance from the vehicle to each airborne object.

Abstract: Position calculating methods and devices are described. Satellite information may be calculated, which includes satellite position, satellite movement speed, and satellite movement direction of a positioning satellite. A pseudo distance between the positioning satellite and a user may be calculated based on a satellite signal received from the positioning satellite. The position of the user may be calculated using the satellite information and the pseudo distance in executing a convergence calculation with positioning information for a reference satellite, thereby eliminating a time error term from unknown quantities.

Abstract: Embodiments of an adaptive electronically steerable array (AESA) system suitable for use on a vehicle and method for communicating are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the AESA system includes a plurality of arrays of radiating elements and control circuitry to configure the arrays for multi-band and multi-aperture operations to maintain data links with communication stations.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided that may be implemented in various electronic devices to possibly reduce a first-time-to-fix and/or otherwise increase the performance or efficiency of a device by employing a position/velocity estimation process using at least one estimated time relationship parameter.

Abstract: Scintillations caused by ionospheric irregularities during Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements are detected and mitigated. Detection is based at least in part on statistical properties of geometry-free combination parameters calculated from input GNSS measurements corresponding to the same navigation satellite and different carrier frequencies. Mitigation is based at least in part on ionosphere-free combination parameters calculated from input GNSS measurements corresponding to the same navigation satellite and different carrier frequencies. Depending on the number of satellites with detected scintillations, different algorithms are used to calculate values of target parameters from a set of ionosphere-free combination parameters or from a set of ionosphere-free combination parameters and the remaining input GNSS measurements.